Three lifetimes of memories are used to inspire this novel docudrama from Costa Rica. Memories of a Burning Body incorporates interviews from three women over 65 about their lives, loves, and trauma. All three are encapsulated in the character of The Woman (Sol Carballo), walking around her apartment contemplating old age and the stories of the past.
It’s an interesting concept, used to have frank conversations about the quiet agonies of women. From sex to ageing, there’s also harrowing discussions of abuse, from when they were children through to violent partners. The culmination of experiences can be overwhelming at times, but speaks to the resilience of these storytellers.
All the women have had to move forward, and fought not to let their past pain dictate how their future unfolds. Director Antonella Sudasassi Furniss elegantly transforms the central apartment into a moving picture book, opening up into various nostalgic spaces for fond memories, then closing in as The Woman remembers painful moments.
Many of these memories are seen through the eyes of The Woman’s childhood self (Juliana Filloy Bogantes). You remember these are not the experiences of one woman, but in many ways universal. Memories of a Burning Body is a thoughtful exploration of femininity, embracing stories that society too often ignored as we expect our elderly to be permanently serene.
The filmmaker devotes the piece to “the conversations I never had with my grandmothers”, and watching this will hopefully compel some to have those talks.
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